NFL season will be full of surprises

As classes start and the whiffs of autumn begin to roll across the country soon, it could only mean one great thing for the sports fan: a long awaited return to the gridiron since last January's playoffs and bowl games.\nCollege football is already underway as the Hoosiers painfully found out last Saturday, but tomorrow dawns a new season in the National Football League and kicks off the beginning of Sunday afternoons spent with friends, a beverage and a bratwurst in hand.\nA new season also means new predictions, which I'm sure will be spoiled by underachieving teams and key injuries. Nonetheless, it is always fun to take a crack at what you think might happen, so here goes:\nAFC East Champ: Miami\nAFC North Champ: Pittsburgh\nAFC South Champ: Indianapolis\nAFC West Champ: Denver\nAFC Wild Cards: Tennessee and New England\nAFC Champion: Pittsburgh\nTampa Bay did beat up on Oakland in the Super Bowl last year, but prior to that the AFC had won four of the last five Super Bowls (despite losing 13 straight before that streak). The AFC's chances for another title could be high this year as the NFC seems very up in the air. Miami should be very strong with the additions of quarterback Brian Griese as a back-up (he'll be starting by the end of the year if they are to have success) and perennial All-Pro linebacker Junior Seau. \nSure, Indianapolis is a sentimental favorite to my hometown heart, but I really believe this will be the year of the Colts. Tony Dungy's implementations on defense will be more visible in their second year and the Big 3 of Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James have to produce sometime, don't they? Quarterback Jake Plummer finally has some help around him with his move from Arizona to Denver, and he will prosper in the Broncos system to lead them to a division title.\nFinally rid of all the questions of Kordell Stewart, Pittsburgh can move on with its stellar defense and the always fun scowls of coach Bill Cowher. Also, even as a fan of Jerome "The Bus" Bettis, I am happy to see "Famous" Amos Zereoue as the starting running back. The Steelers are a bit of a sentimental pick for me as a lifelong fan thanks to my dad, but with their depth and home field advantage in the playoffs, they should go deep into January.\nNFC East Champ: Philadelphia\nNFC North Champ: Green Bay\nNFC South Champ: Tampa Bay\nNFC West Champ: St. Louis\nNFC Wild Cards: New Orleans and San Francisco\nNFC Champion: Philadelphia\nQuarterback Brett Farve will lead the Packers to yet another division title in what could be his last season. The ageless Farve can still throw bullets to his receivers and hopefully will decide to hang around for a few more years on the Frozen Tundra. Defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay is tough to pick against to repeat, but something tells me it just will not happen. They will win their division and cause serious problems for all playoff teams with their devastating defense. St. Louis might finally get it all back together this year and return to a bit of its glory. Quarterback Kurt Warner is healthy and even if he goes down, Marc Bulger is a proven back-up. More importantly, the team shored up its offensive line and defense to be serious contenders. Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb and a stellar defense will lead Philadelphia through the tough NFC and into a Super Bowl match-up with in-state rival Pittsburgh.\nSuper Bowl Champion: Pittsburgh\nWith former Hoosier Antwaan Randle-El pulling off a few trick plays and quarterback Tommy Maddox finally having the full confidence of his coaching staff, the Steelers will claim their fifth Super Bowl in franchise history. If the Steelers avoid any serious injuries and get linebacker Joey Porter back from his gunshot wound, they will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in Houston on Feb. 1, or at least I hope they will.